- Fartlek Run- a free-form version of speed work done off the track. The tern "fartlek" is a Swedish word that means "speed play". Runners use landmarks, like a tree, a mailbox, or a lightpost to pick up the pace from one landmark to another. -Runnersworld.com
On my training plan, it is a little more specific with my first one consisting of 6 fifteen second bursts within an easy 4 mile run. Although the fifteen seconds seemed really short, it felt so good to run fast during those times; talk about letting go of stress and frustrations, sprinting definitely does that for me. I'm starting to understand the phase, "running is cheaper than therapy", and wonder why I did not take up running earlier in my life.
The first run of my week which was the fast-finish run, was really weird because I did not feel like I was all there. I ran a loop that I have run tons of times before, and maybe it was because I was looking into the sun pretty much the whole way, or that I didn't eat very great throughout the day or that I waited until the late afternoon to head out; I'm not sure, but it was the first time I have ever felt like I did. I was running, but it felt kind of like I was on autopilot, mentally I was completely checked out. Physically I felt pretty good, but was more fatigued than usual and was a little worried about not having enough energy to do the fast-finish. I do notice a difference when I wait until later in the day to run. I don't feel as energized as I do in my morning runs, and it's even harder to find the motivation to get out there. I'm going to try and make sure to get out earlier if possible, but for those of you who know me, I definitely suffer from procrastination and putting things off...I replaced one of my runs this week with a hike, and I'm glad I did because it was a gorgeous day, and it was nice to change things up a little bit after the last 4 weeks! The trail is really steep, but its only a little over a mile and a half to the top so it's not super hard and the views are awesome! It was a great replacement workout, but I was sore in different muscles than I use for running.
I tried a new cross-training routine from Runnersworld.com, and really liked it. It is supposed to be really beneficial for runners to prevent injuries, so I am going to try complete the whole routine at least once a week and squeeze in a few of the moves into my days throughout the week. The only bad thing about it was that my calves got really sore and my run the following day was a little rough, but overall I would highly recommend giving these moves a try, or adding them to your weekly routine. You can click on the link below for a full description and a video tutorial.
For quite awhile now I have been wondering about using a foam roller for my muscles. It is supposed to help give you deep tissue massages and to get out tightness and knots in your muscles. I have been hearing more and more about them and their benefits, but was not sure I was ready to shell out $20 to $30 on a round piece of foam. I got really lucky because my mom ended up getting me one for Valentine's day. I have only used it once so far, but there are tons of videos on Youtube with different options and ways to use it on each of your muscle groups. I may try a full-body routine on my off day. My calves feel better today after having used it on them yesterday, but not sure if it was the roller or the time that has passed. I will continue to try it out and keep you posted on whether I notice the benefits or not.
So the end of week 5 leaves me feeling confident about things, only 15 more weeks to go!
"Running has taught me, perhaps more than anything else, that there's no reason to fear starting lines...or other new beginnings." --Author Unknown
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